Home > categories > Construction & Real Estate > Engineered Flooring > engineered vs solid maple flooring - any opinions?
Question:

engineered vs solid maple flooring - any opinions?

We are putting in maple floors and are considering engineered wood. Trying to research the engineered floors, I see alot of positives and not the negatives - yet there must be some! Any opinions?Also - would one be easier to install than the other?If it matters ... This is for the 1st floor our our house in South Eastern MA (about 6 miles from the ocean). Thanks

Answer:

As long as you know the advantages and disadvantages then weight which one is more comfortable to your own choice then that's it.It's all about the hardwood and stuff like that.
the instalation is about the same, except if u go for the click connect vs nailing the boards down - the click is easiest. but your biggest concern shud b on the finish. if this flooring is going down in a high traffic area i would go for the best finish possible. fyi -- we have oak flooring in our kitchen n family room. the kitchen is about 8 years old and came pre-finsihed n has been showing signs of wear for years. whereas, our family room floor, we started w/raw wood n polyed (3 coats) it ourselves has been down for 3 years, this room is for our yard n garage access n is not showing any sign of wear. you may also want to consider this - both flooring types can b refinshed. with an engineered floor it will last for many decades. but a solid wood floor can last for over a century. i have lived in east boston n winthrop in older houses that still had the original hardwood flooring. good luck
Check those pages out and see if this helps. I'm sure that since your 6 miles away the hardwood will be fine. Always wipe up any moisture from the floor or spills. There are many more positives about hardwood floors than there are negatives. If you have pets get a hard Janka type of hardwood - something 1800 and up. This will be better for maintaining them with your pups nails. I personally think that either way you're choosing the right floor not matter what! :) have a great time with this! there tons more info on that same site for you for free! have fun! SO MANY OPTIONS!
The negatives are that the engineered wood floor can be refinished MAYBE once. Solid hardwoods can be refinished quite a few times before needing to be replaced. Most engineered floors can be installed as a floating floor, which is relatively easy for a DIY project. Hardwoods need to be nailed down. Engineered wood comes prefinished. Hardwood comes either way. The factory finish is the way to go. I have an engineered oak floor in my living room/dining room, and it's held up well to my daughter and 2 dogs. Hope this helps.
If money is no object, get the real thing; it will not look as perfect and it will age faster.

Share to: